'Birthdays with a Twist' at Try it on Tuesdays

Yes that's right  - Birthdays 'WITH A TWIST'at Try it on Tuesdays -  and the Twist is you have to use a Mask (OR a Stencil)
I coloured my tag with Victorian Velvet, Dusty Concord, Iced Spruce  and Bundled Sage DIs, then used scrip, sequin waste and harlequin masks with the Dusty Concord, some random stamping with a fern stamp in Bundled Sage, and then a light misting with water. Embossed the bottom and rubbed on some Enchanted Gold gilding wax, this was a nightmare to photograph and I assure  you it's not just a mucky splodge on the bottom!  My 'Queen for a Day' is an old, and I think retired,Crafty Individuals stamp, (which was made at a card class when I first started cardmaking) rediscovered in a bits box. My 'gemstone' crown is Tim Holtz, coloured with Dusty Concord and glitzed with Glamour Dust - well a Queen does have to have sparkle!
My very talented teamies have some wonderful inspiration for you so pop over to the main blog for all the details, and you will also see that one of our DTs has a very special birthday!
I am entering this at:
  Deep Ocean Challenge - Just For a Girl
  Craft your Passion - Birthdays
  Love to Scrap - Create your own Background
  Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting, have a great week.
Avril xx

Alphabet Challenge - ' B '

' B' is the letter this fortnight over at Alphabet Challenge   and its  - Buttons and Bows.
 My image is  from Oxford Impressions April in Paris and another shabby/chic style card.  I have used various Papermania papers, all stitched and distressed with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink and tied with a bow and a little wooden heart button.
I hope you will join us for this challenge, my very talented teamies have some wonderful creations to inspire you, so please pop over here to take a look.
 I am entering this at :
  Aud Sentiments - Any Sentiment for at girl
  Crafty Ribbons - Ribbons and Buttons
  In the Pink - Pink plus One - I hope my black coat counts
  Card Making Mamas - Stack it Up (3 or more layers)

Before I go I would just like to say 'hello' to my new followers, it's lovely to see you, and I hope you will visit often.

Hope you all have a great weekend,

Avril xx

Anything Goes at FSC

It's time for a new challenge at Fashionable Stamping and this time it's everyone's favourite - Anything Goes, as long as you don't forget to use real stamps.  We are again sponsored by Flonzcraft who are offering one lucky random winner a $20 spend in their online store.
I have use a CI stamp Paris Romance, which was stamped twice so I could cut around the frame and add with foam pads. The main sentiment is from Chocolate Baroque and there's a Joycraft postcard tucked underneath the old French bookpage, along with a torn piece of music tissue. The paper is from the Madam Payaud pad by Docrafts.
My very talented teamies have some wonderful creations on show, so please pop over here, you won't be disappointed.
I am entering this at:
 Crafty Individuals is 'Fine Romance'
  Allsorts - Ladies Day
  A Creative Romance - Sentimental
  Divas by Design - Rubber
  Rhedd and Rosie - Love

Thanks for visiting, I really do appreciate it.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Avril xx

It's 'Handmade' at Try it on Tuesday

Handmade is the theme at TioT this fortnight and we would like to see some handwriting, script or sentiment, and the DT have challenged themselves to use 'handwriting'
I decided on a tag,  I used Kaisercraft 'Perfume' stamp, masked off the label and then built up the background, first with inks, spritzed with water and then I actually used 3 different stencils, which don't really show. My butterflies are an Inkylicious stamp, the top one having 2 layers for dimension.  My large rose was made a while ago when I first got the TH Tattered Floral die, I think I got a bit carried away and it's rather large, too large for a card, but gives impact and takes the eye away from my 'handwriting'.  Isn't it strange, we don't think about our handwriting normally, but for this tag - to be on show - well I did struggle and I don't even think it looks like mine!
I hope you will join us for this challenge and my teamies have some very varied interpretations of 'handmade' with handwriting for you, so please pop over to the main blog to take a look.
I am entering this at :
  Butterfly Challenge - Butterflies and Flowers
That's it for now,
Avril xx

Not the Usual!

Anyone who visits here regularly will realise I don't do men's cards very often - in fact only 3 a year!  This main image is Crafty Individuals, a stamp I must have had for 2 years and this is the first inking!  I stamped the 'gent' a second time and covered him with Glossy Accents before layering him on foam pads.  The background, sentiment and clock -  which was also coated with GA,  is a PaperArtsy stamp that I won at Rhedd and Rosies challenge the other week.

I am entering this at:
  Vintage Stamping Challenge- It's a Man Thing
  Crafty Cardmakers - This is a Mans World
  Cards & more - Men only
  Make it Monday - Anything Goes
  Allsorts - Colours beginning with B -mines BROWN
  SanDee&amelie's Steampunk Challenge - Time Machine

That's it for now, but if you are in areas affected by the storms, stay safe - you're in our thoughts.

Avril xx

Build it Up at Fashionable Stamping

'Build it Up' - using at least 3 stamps - is the new challenge at Fashionable Stamping this fortnight, chosen by yours truly.
I decided on a large tag , I first clear embossed the Tim Holtz French Script and postmark, then masked and embossed the address stamp into three.  The dress form was stamped and embossed with black EP. I distressed the background withDusty Concord, Bundled Sage, Iced Spruce and Tumbled Glass, these colours were also used to dye the ribbon. I cut a Tattered Doily and distressed with the same inks, them stamped the addresses with Bundled Sage before coating with Distress Clear Rock Cancy Crackle paint. The flowers, a Joycraft die, were tinted with Dusty Concord.
My very talented teamies have some wonderful inspiration for you so please pop over here to take a look.
We are again sponsored by Flonzcraft, who are offering one lucky random winner a $20 spend in their online store.

I am entering this at:
  Simply Create Too - Mothers Day/For a Female
  Dream Valley - Tag you're it
  Cards and Scrap - Use Stamps
  Really Reasonable Ribbons - Anything but a Card & Ribbon
  The Crafting Cafe - Embossing

Avril xx

'Travel' at TioT

Time for a new challenge at Try it on Tuesday and this fortnight it's ' Travel'
I have used IndigoBlu for my main image, map tickets and 'I can see you' boy, who's goggles have been coated with Glossy Accents,Crafty Individuals and Papermania postcards, and my home-made' chit chat words are Tim Holtz.  The base layer was stamped with IB tickets and words .
My teamies have some wonderful creations to inspire you, so please pop over to the main blog and be inspired to join us for this challenge.
I am entering this at:
  Cards and Scrap - Use Stamps
  Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
  Make it Monday - Anything Goes
 
Before I go, I would just like to say 'hello' to my new followers - Thank You for making the 200!  I really must do something to celebrate this landmark.

Avril xx